When you travel to Cappadocia with Dos Plumas these are some of the interesting and unique places you should visit:
1. Göreme Open Air Museum – The largest single location to go and see the beautiful frescos and abandoned churches of the 9th through 11th centuries. A walk through this portion of Cappadocia will open your eyes to the intricate architectural work that was done in caves for the sake of protection and convenience. Eastern Christianity owes its existence to the faithful work and education of many theologians and priests who dwelt in the multitudinous caves in this present day open air museum.
2. Paşa Bağı, Zelve Monastery – The Zelve monastery is another great example of the intricate cave dwellings and a whole monastery was housed in the hills and caves of the Paşa Bağı region. The Zelve Monastery was one of the first seminaries of the Cappadocia region that was a cradle for Orthodox Christianity during the period of Muslim invasion of the crumbling Byzantine Empire in the 9th century ce.
3. Hot Air Balloon Trip – By far one of the most adventurous and memorable things you can do while in Cappadocia is ride a hot air balloon. Small group and large group balloon rides are available for those wanting a higher vantage of the beautiful valleys and trails of the Cappadocia Region. This optional sunrise tour is worth the extra price to experience this meld of physical ingenuity and geological creativity. If you choose the small group flight you will enjoy a glass of Cappadocian Sparkling Wine at the end of a successful flight and landing. A romantic way to start your day touring Cappadocia.
5. Derinkoyu and Kaymakli – From the high heights of ballooning in the morning you can dive deep under the earth into the mysterious underground cities of Deirnkoyu and Kaymakli. These dwellings which dip up to 100 meters down beneath the surface of the earth and housed whole communities of Hittites and later Byzantine Christians fleeing attacks of marauding soldiers are a tribute to the ingenuity of human beings. Watch your head as ceilings are low and be cautioned if you suffer from claustrophobia, these were tight quarters deep underground.
6. Uçhısar Fortress – Climb to the top of the regions fortress built into a tower like mesa and see three different grave areas. The relatively small grave size in this region may be the origin for the concept of mine dwelling dwarves that fill literature such as J.R. Tolkien’s, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The view from this area over the surrounding area is spectacular and in the mornings one can see hot air balloons flying all around the region. Some of the nicer hotels in Cappadocia are located around this rising spire.
7. Hiking Ihlara Valley – There are many exciting and beautiful hikes that one can take in and around Cappadocia. The Ihlara Valley is one of the longer gorges cut into the soft rock – a result of volcanic activity and water mixing to form a plain of porous brittle rock that fills the Cappadocian valley. The Ihlara valley was one of the first places used as a refuge because of it’s plentiful amounts of water and places to hide.
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